Given the recent fire incidents across Mumbai’s COVID-19 hospitals, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to conduct fire safety audits of all government, municipal, and private hospitals in the city.
BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal sent a circular on Monday, directing the Chief Fire Officer (CFO) of the BMC to conduct detailed audits of civic and private hospitals to ascertain their fire safety compliance. The CFO has been tasked with submitting the audit report to the BMC in 15 days.
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“In case of any shortcomings/deficiencies observed from the fire safety point of view during such inspection, action under the Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act, 2006, shall be initiated,” the circular read.
On the 29th of March, Chahal had instructed all 147 government, private, and civic-run hospitals to conduct a fire audit and check for structural stability issues. However, the new circular issued on April 5 states that the audit will be conducted by the BMC.
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The BMC decided to take this step after the recent fire at Hangar F of Dahisar’s Jumbo COVID Centre wherein 50 patients had to be moved to safety. The fire later spread to the adjacent Hangar G which had around 49 patients receiving treatment for COVID-19.
Officials have said that a short circuit in the electrical wiring may have caused the fire. Firefighters arrived at the scene and managed to douse the flames with the extinguishers situated across the Jumbo centre.
The city has seen multiple instances of fire breaking out at a COVID Care Facility or hospital over the last six months including a fire at Bhandup’s Sunrise Hospital situated within Dreams Mall. This incident led to the death of 11 people.
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